Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03

THAN long abandoned, ana 4 n"sw.'
BY simply telling him because 10 pro-
renitor at those shafts has been eS-
tracted. He then asks, Why was not B's
discovered in sinking OF drill-noics
few years ago? The drill-holes the
Professor alIndes TO were not located ~
the main body of gas.producing tnick
coal, or within long distance OF ioca-
lions that would be selected II the
writer OF this had to select loca!ion
for tapping gas but notwithstanding
this, the bore. holes did yield strong
feeders of illuminating gas ana II 4
may be allowed to use the vulgar eS-
preston, may safely say that IN SINK
ing and boring deep shaft at midio,
THAN the gas actually spewed anu
blubbered out like boiling water after
the shaft reached vertical depth OF
one thousand feet, and the pressure
was so high and the gas so strong thst
the men could not hold their heads
over the bore-bole. II this does not
give indelible proof that the gasin this
region is retained by close-srainsa
strata at high pressure l will thank the
leaned Professor to tell the pubic why.
Professor Russell need not tell US that
the gas hes escaped through the asso-
ciated rocks, and that gas cannot be ex-
pected to exist under high pressure
near the out-crop, as almost every
schoolboy here knows this, and should
look upon any attempt at boring for gas
in this region at less vertical depth
than LOCO feet as unwise and NONSENSE
cal.
There is O shaft ut Midlothian called
Green Hole 260 feet deep, containing
seam of bituminous coal from sixty to
eighty.fve feet thick, and while it
generates as large percentage OF gas
at the gas-works rs the highest grade
English coal, it makes no gas in the
mines, for the simple reason that the
superintendent strata is too porous to
hold or retain the gas, and il escapes
undetected but in the deeper works
the superincumbent strata is firm and
close grained, and if ever the expert
ment is made and the bore holes ju-
diciously located at Midlothian gas will
certainly be tapped at high pressure,
and il its progenitor (coaD is not ex-
tracted for reasonable radius from the
bore-holes its flow will doubtless con-
tinue undated for an almost indefinite
period, as the seam of coal ranges from
twenty to fifty feet thick and the basin
is over four miles wide, and bore-holes
properly located will have the most
powerful feeders OF gas from the west
ern district of the bore-holes OF nearly
three miles of solid coal.
Professor Russell suggests i'll his let
ter of February the 18th that drill-holes
should be sunk midway between Mid
lothian and Dover or near Halls
borough but how he can reconcile his
mind to such an absurd theory, orupon
what basis he makes his calculations,
is mystery to me, as all the surface
indications and surface associations
ut and for o considerable distance
from marlborough speak for them
selves that 1t is outside the margin
of the Richmond or Midlothian coal
fields, and that any man might as well
stry to live and breathe in vacuity as
attempt to find natural gas at or near
Marlborough or midway between Mid
lothian and Dover but there is q GER
tainty that natural gas can be tapped at
Midlothian colliery and at other places
in line with Midlothian, and can be
tapped in an abundant and constant
supply, and when it is tapped it will in
fuse new life into Richmond and Ches-
terfeld and this entire community. /
am anxious to give a description of the
Richmond and Midlothian coalfeld,
and show to the world the great in-
ducements this coalfeld on.esrs TO in
yestora and ne we happy results that can
re realized with skilful and energetic
management but have trespassed too
much on your generosity already, but
/ have done it in the interest of the pub
lie, and / hope the public will appre-
ciate your generosity in publishingitand
other subjects for the public good by
liberal patronage of your most excellent
and admirably edited journal.
Very truly yours,
J. ATKINS,
Mining Engineer.